MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has agreed to remove the logo of Russia’s Bosco, which is the official supplier of clothing for the world’s governing Olympic body, from its apparel at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Bosco’s chairman and founder Mikhail Kusnirovich told TASS on Thursday.
Last month, Kusnirovich announced that he had asked the IOC not to use the company’s brand logo at the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang over the IOC’s decision to suspend the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and to allow Russia’s doping-clean athletes take part in the Games only under the neutral status capacity, prohibiting the national flag and state insignia.
"We have received a letter from the IOC and they stated their agreement with our proposal to remove Bosco logo from the apparel, which we supply them with," Kusnirovich said in an interview with TASS. "The IOC informed us that they understand and accept our stance."
"We believe that their reaction was normal and constructive," he said. "Judging by the letter from (IOC President) Thomas Bach, this situation will not affect our long-term relations with the IOC."
"We have found the way how we will remove the logo - we will sewing on top of them patches that say IOC," Bosco head said. "On some of the clothing, such as scarves and gloves, we will be simply removing the logo, because it will be cheaper (compared to patching)."
The IOC confirmed to TASS that it agreed with Bosco’s proposal and would not be using the company’s logo on its apparel during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which kick off in South Korea in less than a month,
"We came to a friendly agreement with Bosco for this edition of the Olympic Winter Games," the IOC press service said in a statement for TASS.
"In agreement with them and with their help IOC staff will wear their non-branded apparel, whilst IOC Members will wear uniforms produced by another manufacturer," the statement said.
Bosco won the right to be executive supplier to the International Olympic Committee in 2016, to succeed Nike, which had been the IOC’s supplier of clothing in 2013-2016.
Bosco was the general partner of the Russian Olympic team and its official supplier of clothing at eight Winter and Summer Olympic Games, namely in Salt Lake City (2002), Athens (2004), Turin (2006), Beijing (2008), Vancouver (2010), London (2012), Sochi (2014), and Rio de Janeiro (2016).
The Executive Board of the IOC announced its decision on December 5 to suspend the Russian national team from taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang over multiple doping abuse allegations concerning the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The IOC, however, stated that doping-free athletes from Russia could go to the 2018 Olympic Games under the classification of neutral athletes, or the OAR status, which stands for ‘Olympic Athlete from Russia.’
The world’s governing Olympic body stated that it also banned Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko and ex-Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh from attending all Olympic events in their official capacities and yanked the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
The upcoming Olympics, which are 23rd Winter Games, will take place in South Korea’s PyeongChang on February 9-25, 2018.